This is a guest post by Alex Legendre about her project to renovate and restore Chantry House on East Street and some surrounding buildings.
I am a local, originally born in Hove. We moved to Shoreham 11 years ago, where myself and my husband set up Ginger and Dobbs, a shop and little cafe in East St. We used to have a shop in Hove selling antiques and furniture. I then started to get interested in the interiors and restoration of older houses for work and then for pleasure. Renovating houses all over the South East. Moving house quite frequently!
My father used to sell antiques too, so I think it’s something that grows with you. I just want to restore houses and give them life again as they should be, authentically. Original features and sympathatic design. I am genuinely not interested in corner-cutting or money-driven projects. Authenticity is my drive.
Hence being drawn to Chantry House as a project originally. An original photo shows the house with stunning iron railings and small frontages with lots of ivy growing. They look stunning. I knew that I had to bring this building and subsequently the surrounding buildings back to life.
So much so, that I gave up my business over a year ago and I have been working on the plans and finding funding to complete the development for all of this time. I have literally lived off of my savings to get this project off the ground, so your support would mean the world to me.
Alex Legendre
St Mary’s View Development Ltd
Alex will be giving a free talk on Zoom about her project on Friday 19 January 2024 at 19.00.
This Zoom link is here: https://www.shorehamsociety.org.uk/events/st-marys-view-development/.
Hello Alex I wish you all the very best with your development project and look forward to hearing your talk on the project on 19 January 24.
Best wishes Jan
Very impressed with this development. The site has been neglected and sad-looking since I moved to Shoreham. I’m relieved that it will retain and enhance the historic aesthetic and character of this prime location, complementing our beautiful St Mary de Haura Church opposite.